Dress-shield and method of making the same



(N0 Model.)

G. A. CLOSE.

DRESS SHIELD AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME. No. 360,143. Patented Mar. 29, 1887.

fly] 2 UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcne G. ALBERTUS CLOSE, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

DRESS-SHIELD AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 360,143, dated March 29, 1887.

Application filed January 20, 1887. Serial No. 21,864. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, G. ALBERTUS CLosE, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Bridge port, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Seamed Dress-Shields; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain novel and useful improvements in dress-shields and the method of making the same, and has for its object to greatly improve, simplify, and eheapen the manufacture of that class of shields which are designated in the trade as seamed dress shields, while at the same time the crescentshaped curve at the top of the shield shall be effected and retained without any seaming whatever at that part of the shield; and with these ends in view my invention consists in certain details of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described ,and designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may know how to make and use the same, I will proceed to de scribe the same in detail, referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of my specification, in which- Figure 1 is a view in plan of the stock out out in accordance with my improved method prior to the seaming; Figs. 2 and 3, similar Views, but showing the stock cut out in a slightly-modified manner; and Fig. 4,an elevation of a completed shield.

Similar letters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Prior to my invention dress-shields of this class have been made in two or more pieces seamed together along the line of the crescentshaped curve at the top ofthe shield, or the seam has been formed below the curve in one of the flaps and extended clear across the latter; but shields made in this manner very often part at the seam, and also it is a very difficult matter to handle two or more independent pieces of stock and produces. shield with a good seam and a perfect curve.

My improvement contemplates the making of a dress-shield out of a single piece of stock with the seam on the side of one of the flaps, whereby I produce a shield as cheap as the ordinary seamed shields and possessing the ad vantage afforded by a seamless shield.

A is the stock, which is preferably rubber faced with stockinet. Ator near the middle of the stock a piece is cut out, thus forming an opening, 13. The top and bottom of this opening are of a general concave shape,as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and are of the same length. stockinet along the top or bottom edge of the opening, as may be desired, (in the presentinstance the bottonn) and adjacent to said edge, is preferably stripped from the stock on either the upper or under side, (in the present instance the upper,) thus leaving the rubber exposed, as shown at C. The surface of the opposite side ofthe stoekinet,adjacent to the other edge, (in the present instance the under side of the top edge) is now lapped upon the stripped portion C and firmly secured thereto,eith er by cementing or in any other well-known manner. The shield is now folded into the shape shown at Fig. 4. Of course there are coekles and wrinkles incident to the superimposition and securing of the edges; but the folding of the stock takes up said coekles and wrinkles and effects the formation of a shield having flaps lying smoothly and a perfect crescent-shaped curve at the top.

It maybe difficult to comprehend how different sides of the two edges can be brought together so as to be seamed without so distorting the shield as to make the latter useless; but it must be borne in mind that the two edges are of the same length and of a general concave shape, which latteris of course varied in pitch to correspond to the desired pitch of the crescent shape at the top of the shield. The shape of the piece cut out is immaterial so long as the top and bottom of the opening have a general concave shape; also, it makes no difference, as faras the spirit of my invention is concerned, whether the piece is cut out from the middle of the stock or from either side of the middle in the direction of the length of the stock, since the only difference would be that in the first instance the flaps of the completed shield would not be of the same length according to the length of the opening.

The I ICO I have shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 one side of the stock from which the shield is made out entirely through the flap by a continuation of the cutting of one of the edges, since I can, if desired, form a dress-shield from the stock so out without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I pink the edge which forms the outside seam, (which is in the present instance the top edge of the opening 13,) in order to facilitate thelapping of the edges, so as not to show any unevenness, which might otherwise result if the lap were made with plain edges. Moreover, great nicety is necessary in joining plain edges, since if the edge of the upper flap does not coincide precisely with the inner edge of the stripped portion of thelower flap the exposed rubber will present a very rough and uneven appearance,which will greatly detract from the neat finish of the shield. The pinkin'g not only facilitates the ready seaming of the edges, but it also affords an exceedingly neat and finished appearance to the'completed shield.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As a new article of manufacture, a dressshield seamless along the crescent-shaped curve at the top and having below said curve in one of the flaps a seam extending only part way across said flap, substantially as set forth.

2. The method of making dress-shields, the same consistingin cuttingin thestock an openthe stockinet adjacent to the other edge, Whereby a crescent shape is imparted to the shield, and then folding the stock,whereby the cockles and wrinkles incident to the formation of the crescent shape are taken up and the flaps caused to lie smoothly, substantially as shown, and for the purposes set forth. 7

4. The method ofjoining the edges of a scam in a seamed dress-shield, the same consisting in stripping the top surface of the lower flap, pinking the edge of the upper flap, and then uniting the bottom surface of the upper flap to and upon the stripped surface of the lower flap, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

G. ALBERTUS CLOSE.

\Vitnesses: T. W. SMITH, J r., S. S. WILLIAMSON. 

